It's the Great Depression, and young Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin) has a great life. Her father (Chris O'Donnell) is a car salesman, and her mother (Julia Ormond) is a doting, caring wife and mother. Soon, however, her world is turned upside down as all her friends suffer bankruptcy and foreclosure, and soon it affects her very family.Her father goes to Chicago to try to find work, and meanwhile her mother opens her home for boarders. Kit loves the new company, as everyone has a special story to tell, but things go downhill when her friend Will (Max Thieriot), a hobo, is accused of stealing. Kit and her young friends do some detective work to try and find the real robbers, which leads them on the adventure of their young lives.A poignant, moving, exceptional film...all the more realistic because of what people are going through in their own lives right now..."Kit Kittredge" shows the true meaning of charity, friendship and family. A truly moving piece of cinema, brought wonderfully by such fantastic young acting (especially Breslin, who is poised to become one of the best young actresses of this generation). A truly can't miss family film!

Inspired by a popular doll, this film about a family struggling to make ends meet during the depression of the 1930s is entertaining if formulaic and predictable. Everybody is so nice and politically correct that it's enough to induce nausea for adult viewers, which is OK because this one is aimed at tweeners and young teens who read the American Girl books. The filmmakers have thrown in every cliché one can think of and the schmaltz meter hits a pretty high score by the time the happy ending (this should not be a spoiler for anyone) comes around. The cast has a lot of familiar faces and Breslin does look like the doll.

Give credit where it is due, and once again Breslin dishes more than a dose of sunshine again over a story that puts the spotlight on one of the darkest times in American History. There is more than just a little girl's perspective here, we are treated to a respectful and heartfelt tribute to the people who suffered the most during the Depression. Although the film is told from the point of view of a budding writer who happens to be 10 year old, with the help of a consistent and very talented supporting cast, the emotions come through honestly and without much of the unnecessary and over dramatized productions that now pass as drama.Chris O'Donnell is perfectly cast as Kit's father, the perfect prototype of the American family man who is now facing total disaster as his world crumbles around him. He soon realizes things are worse than he expected, but just like the American spirit, he is not going to let this conquer him. His lovely wife played by Julia Ormond, is a tower of strength, but without the histrionics shown in the 80's movie. Anyone recalls those farm movies with Spacek, Lange, and Field? Here is a film where there is strength, humor, and many more emotions shown with restraint and class.Soon, their home becomes a magnet to boarders and other outcasts of society, and we see some of the era's stereotypes beautifully played by first rate actors like Stanley Tucci, Joan Cusack, Glenne Headley, and Jane Krakowski. There are some intimate scenes where one captures how these people tried to escape the darkness outside by finding strength in each other and humor in whatever little entertainment came their way.The film is short, yet it is full of detail, courtesy of some fine writing, a fantastic production team, and very lovely camera-work. It deserves to be seen and studied.

I took my grandchild to see this movie and was truly shocked. How could a movie this good come out of Hollywood? The characters were believable, the plot interesting, there were humans instead of androids in this movie, there was no sex, violence, or bad language in it, and this old lady LOVED it. So did my 7 year old grandchild. Why haven't they been making movies like this for years?Usually when I take a child to the movies, I am saddened by the experience. Where are all the wonderful, wholesome productions of yesteryear that entertained one and educated at the same time? This movie did both. My grandchild knew nothing about the Depression, so I explained the time in very simple terms. She seemed to get it, and loved the way the story had a good ending where the main character had a personal triumph and a family endured adversity.Take your kids to see this movie. You will be proud and not embarrassed.